Apparition

From UnknowableWiki

Apparition is a magical form of teleportation, by which a witch or wizard can disappear ("Disapparate") from one location and reappear ("Apparate") in another. It is sometimes accompanied by a distinctive cracking or popping sound, possibly caused by the abrupt movement of air as a result of the nearly instantaneous displacement of the body, though this is associated with ineptitude rather than success; the most skilled magicians can Apparate "so suddenly and silently" that they seem to have "popped out of the ground". The act is also accompanied by a very unpleasant squeezing sensation, as though being sent through a tight rubber tube, according to Harry (HBP6). One who travels by means of Apparition is called an Apparator.

Apparition is an activity licensed by the Ministry of Magic when a witch or wizard reaches seventeen years of age, similarly to the way Muggle governments license individuals for their ability to drive a motor vehicle. Students attend Ministry lessons during their sixth year, after the completion of which they have the opportunity to take their licensing examination, on or after their seventeenth birthday. According to the instructor at Hogwarts, Wilkie Twycross, Apparition involves the "Three D's": destination, deliberation, and determination (HBP18)..

The training is difficult, and students run the risk of splinching -- being physically split between the origin and destination -- which during lessons requires the assistance of the Ministry's Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to undo. Splinching is quite common during lessons, and can be uncomfortable depending on the body parts splinched, but is ultimately harmless if properly reversed. Splinching is the result of being "insufficiently determined"(HBP18).

Apparition is considered unreliable over long distances, and even experienced users of the technique sometimes prefer other means of transport, such as broomsticks. Only highly trained wizards should attempt intercontinental Apparition (QA).

For reasons of security, the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are protected by ancient anti-Apparition` and Anti-Disapparition spells, which prevents anyone from Apparating or Disapparating in the school grounds.

As one might expect, it is considered quite rude to Apparate into a private area such as a residence -- as rude as kicking down the front door. For this reason, as well as for reasons of security, many private residences also have anti-Apparition spells protecting them from uninvited intrusions. Therefore the most reliable (and most polite) way to travel to most locations is to Apparate somewhere unseen nearby and proceed to the final destination on foot (HBP4).

It is also possible to prevent individuals from Apparating, presumably through magic similar to that used to protect large areas, but on a smaller scale. In Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore restrained a group of Death Eaters using an anti-Apparition ring, which held them until Ministry officials could take them into custody (OP36).

The books also suggest that Apparition is more difficult under circumstances where visibility in the destination is low. In Order of the Phoenix, Fred and George Weasley, fresh from their Apparition exams, Apparate from room to room in Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place (OP4). At one point they Apparate into the darkened room where Ron and Harry are sleeping, accidentally sitting painfully on Ron's knee rather than on the edge of his bed. They apologize by claiming that Apparition is harder in the dark. Presumably, the act requires knowledge of one's destination.

In the books, the words "Apparate" and "Disapparate", like many other neologisms used by Rowling, are capitalized, whereas established English words such as "jinx" and "hex" are not.